2019 Reviewed – Part Two

July The month opened with a living wage win in Cheshire, after the union successfully negotiated a deal with Edsential for school caterers and cleaners to be paid at least £9 an hour. Other school support staff would also get a pay rise in the deal. BBC Radio 4 broadcast a week-long drama about the problems of 15-minute care visits, based on the experiences of UNISON member Caroline Firmin, whose campaigning saw Southwark Council become one of the first councils in the UK to adopt our Ethical Care Charter. A period of busy summer strike action saw members take to the picket lines over pay in Birmingham and Blackpool and outsourcing in Bradford. The month also saw the Conservative Party vote for their new leader. Boris Johnson, a man never known to let anything stand in the way of his personal ambitions, finally landed himself the PM job he had always, modestly, felt was born for. But would he keep it…? August UNISON secured another victory at the Court of Appeal, this time affecting hundreds of thousands of employees working part-time and irregular hours or patterns. Harpur Trust v Brazel & UNISON clarifies the legal position ensuring that all workers are entitled to a minimum of 28 days paid annual leave, even if they are not given work or pay for parts of the year. In addition, this leave must be paid at the rate of a normal week’s pay, or based on the average payment for the preceding 12 weeks if pay is irregular. More positive news saw the West Midlands Am...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News Source Type: news